VF111

X will always be X. X and T are the pillars of KY HS Football, and have been for a long, long time. Even when Highlands was on their run, and others before them, to play and beat X or T was a watershed moment. I argue X and T alone hold this status. They play the best from Ohio and expect to take one or two from them. Those two jobs are just on a different level of mystique to me. X is a lot like Notre Dame to me. They might not be the best place to win a championship, but for coaches, the chance to be the Head Coach at X (or T), well, that's something that I don't think any other job in KY can match.

D-Fire has it right. T will play Manual or X in the 4th round and will travel to whichever of those two is standing. Barring some unlikely event, South will be waiting for the winner at Kroger Field.

Debunked by what?

A year ago the Pats were 9-3. Sometimes these seasons happen. As D-Fire said, perfect storms arise. Losing 20 seniors off a 0-10 team is not the worst thing ever. It allows for a fresh start with lots of open positions and a lot to be motivated by in the off-season. I'm going to predict Coach Hood has about 45-55 kids on next year’s team, and while some of the talent may have been thinned, what remains will chew nails for each other. Look for ACS to get back on track in 2026.

MNH yes, that much has been proven, but MNH appears to have peaked early and is falling off. Greenwood... no. South didn't run Greenwood off the field, and we have seen South play Owensboro this year. Owensboro is a very good team this year in 5A... but this is not an overly strong 5A pack, which means all of the top teams, Owensboro included, are vulnerable in some way or another to the Apollos, Greenwoods, and Collins in the playoffs.

Saying Owensboro can't run with Woodford is comical. Owensboro can run with literally anyone in KY. Owensboro has some issues... but the ability to run with people ain't one of them. This sounds a lot like the talk we heard about all the skill players Cooper was supposed to have last year. Then Cooper played BG and got both manhandled up front, and a clear difference in speed and athleticism smothered their skill players.

Lex Cath beat Boyle. If you can beat Boyle you can beat anyone in KY without Shamrock in their name.

I don't really think that is a given. Scott Co. has better players, a better offense, and a better defense than anyone Owensboro has beaten. Woodford can say the same. I would say Owensboro CAN beat Woodford and Scott Co., but not that they WOULD. I think 1-5 are pretty even with a potential 6th and 7th to be added. If Atherton lays the wood to North Laurel this Friday, you can go ahead and put them in the mix, and if North Laurel beats Atherton, the same goes for them. Pulaski can make a point going onto Log Mountain this week as well if they can hand Bell Co. a loss. One thing is for sure, this is as exciting a 5A race as there has been in a long, long time! Oh, and once again, the 5A game gets shafted by the State Finals and gets the Saturday night game.

First team to 7 wins?

The knock on Scott Co. has been that they can't win the big game. This year, their biggest win is against a BG team starting a FR QB for the first game of his career and missing a Mr. Football-level WR. Since that win, they have lost the next two "big game" opportunities they have had to Woodford and to Highlands, and have a head-scratcher of a blowout loss against Madison Central. What indicator do you have that they are a legit contender, even to make it to the Championship game?

Good gauge for the Purples and Flyers. For Franklin Co., BG will have some players on the field as good as any in 4A. If they can handle the Purples, they make an argument for their legitimacy as one of the several teams that can win it all in 4A. For BG, it would be hard to argue against the premise that BG has already played a tight game with a team better than anyone in 5A (CAL). That said, they have to find a way to beat a top-notch opponent. I don't think Franklin Co. is better than, but they're close to Woodford, Scott Co., Cooper, and Owensboro, so BG needs to prove to themselves they can go on the road and take one from this level of team.

How'd y'all do those three years I mentioned?

Atherton is watching this conflict between football and a band with a rather large smile on their face.

Some context would probably help in this case. There are some pretty significant differences in the use of swear words —whether just spoken, spoken at someone, or spoken to a group —and in the tone accompanying them. There are also a couple of absolute no-nos and then a couple of more mild words.

All three of South Warren's State Championship teams 2015, 2018, and 2021 would have handled Trinity those years had they played. When South is State Championship caliber, they are a problem. When Trinity is an "up" Trinity team, I admit, they are untouchable for KY teams. BUT, this Trinity team is not one of those teams. Are they still the best in KY until proven otherwise, yes. Would South or X be scared to catch them in the playoffs... hardly.

Can you imagine standing over the grill as a dad for four hours on a Saturday in front of the Piggly Wiggly on Main, grilling ribeye sandwiches for your kid's team to watch as your coach hands all the proceeds to the new RB's Uncle, who has brought him over from two counties away?

I did not have Apollo chirping at BGHS on my BINGO card, but hey, why not in this day and age of 5A! I think perhaps the real topic that has been missed is Greenwood. The Gators have played South Warren (a pretty solid Top 3 team in 6A) better than anyone else other than Manual. They lost by 1 to a Logan Co. team that now looks like it is licking its chops to get another shot at Tilghman. They took BG to the wire. If there is someone with a resume to worry about, I would argue the Gators are wondering why y'all are talking about Apollo.

Glasgow's schedule is somewhat problematic. Their biggest measuring sticks are a 5-3 Monroe team, which they beat 14-3; a 6-2 Hart team that has only beaten the Sisters for the Poor, and a 5-3 Franklin team that has not beaten a team with a winning record. Nonetheless, Arnett has shown himself to be what Glasgow hoped he would be when they hired him, and I think you can really put Glasgow back in the 3A conversation moving forward.

I don't think BG can claim in any way to be the favorite. In fact, I think you would be hard-pressed to say that there is any way that Scott Co., Pulaski, Owensboro, BG, Woodford, or Cooper could claim that they are the favorite by any stretch. The lack of favorite-defining wins by all six is startling, which is why I took some objection to the indication that some "big 3" exist in the East that have shown themselves to be a tall mountain to climb. BG's best game is their 3-point loss to CAL, having played the Centurians closer than anyone else in the state. Owensboro's best game is beating an O Cath team that hangs its hat on beating BG. Pulaski's best game is beating Corbin Scott Co's best game is beating BG Cooper's best game is beating Ryle Woodford's best game is beating Scott Co. Beyond that, none of those teams has much to claim.

Yawn... this was the talk all year out of Highlands and Cooper last year. Scott Co. had to beat BG on a last drive of the game when BG didn't have Barber. I hardly think BG is quaking in their shoes at the thought of any of the "big 3"... of which, only Cooper has even been to Kroger Field.

Huge game for all of 5A. Woodford has cleared two of the three hurdles of their three week 5A measuring stick. They’ve done so with authority as well. Scott Co. can really stake their claim with a win here. I think whoever wins this game, it will be their best win in recent history. Whoever loses, it will continue a narrative of not winning the big time games.

Well, at least we know where one of the Laurels sits in 5A now…

If he plays Center or Guard, he might play on Sundays. No knock against him, but I find it hard to see him playing a skill position at the next level, and I think his offer list reflects that.

I'll be honest... I think #'s 1-7 would likely running clock both Laurels.

The last minute was a travesty by Cov. Cath. There is literally one guy you can’t leave open. Brutal finish. Almost inexcusable.